Cross Sectional Anatomy
Axial Coronal Sagittal Planes | Gray And White Matter | White Matter Tracts | Vascular Structures
Common Regions
Brain Spine Musculoskeletal Chest Abdomen Pelvis Vascular
Contrast Agents
Gadolinium Based Agents | Extracellular Agents | Hepatobiliary Agents | Renal Function Considerations
Stroke Tumor And Infection
Standard Sequences T1 T2 FLAIR DWI ADC | Pre And Post Contrast T1 | MR Angiography As Indicated
Degenerative And Trauma
Sagittal T1 T2 STIR | Axial T2 And T1 | Contrast For Infection Or Neoplasm | Evaluate Cord And Nerve Roots
Joints And Soft Tissue
High Resolution Small Field Of View | T1 T2 PD Fat Sat | MR Arthrography For Labral Or Intra Articular Pathology
Liver Pancreas And Pelvis
Multiphasic Contrast For Liver Lesions | T2 And Diffusion For Pancreas | Pelvic Protocols For Prostate And Gynecologic Imaging
Function And Tissue Characterization
Cine SSFP For Function | Late Gadolinium Enhancement For Scar | T1 T2 Mapping For Tissue Characterization
Vascular Evaluation
Time Of Flight For Head And Neck | Contrast Enhanced For Body Vessels | Phase Contrast For Flow Quantification
Anatomy And Fat Signal
T1 Shows Fat Bright | Useful For Anatomy And Post Contrast Enhancement
Fluid Sensitive
T2 Shows Fluid Bright | Useful For Edema And Pathology Detection
Suppress CSF
Fluid Attenuated Inversion Recovery | Suppresses CSF To Highlight Periventricular Lesions
Diffusion Imaging
Diffusion Weighted Imaging And ADC Maps | Critical For Acute Ischemia And Cellular Density Assessment
Fat Suppression Techniques
Short Tau Inversion Recovery And Frequency Selective Fat Saturation | Useful In Musculoskeletal And Spine Imaging
Susceptibility And Cine Imaging
Gradient Echo For Susceptibility Effects | SSFP For Cardiac Cine And High Contrast Between Blood And Myocardium
Implants And Devices
Screen For Pacemakers Cochlear Implants Aneurysm Clips And Other Ferromagnetic Devices | Use MR Conditional Protocols When Applicable
Gadolinium Considerations
Assess Renal Function For Gadolinium Use | Use Macrocyclic Agents When Possible | Document Contrast Type And Dose
Patient Comfort
Offer Ear Protection And Communication | Use Open MRI Or Sedation For Claustrophobic Patients | Monitor Vital Signs During Sedation
Risk Assessment
Avoid Routine MRI In First Trimester Unless Clinically Indicated | Use Noncontrast When Possible | Discuss Risks And Benefits With Referring Clinician
Surface And Phased Array Coils
Choose Appropriate Coil For Anatomy | Use Phased Array Coils For Improved SNR | Position Coil Close To Anatomy Of Interest
Breath Hold And Gating
Use Breath Hold Sequences For Abdomen | Cardiac Gating For Heart | Motion Correction Techniques For Pediatric And Uncooperative Patients
Trade Offs
Adjust Matrix Field Of View And Slice Thickness To Balance Spatial Resolution And Scan Time | Use Parallel Imaging And Compressed Sensing To Reduce Time
SNR
Signal To Noise Ratio | Higher SNR Improves Image Quality
TR TE
Repetition Time And Echo Time | Determine T1 And T2 Weighting
Fat Sat
Fat Saturation Techniques | Improve Lesion Conspicuity By Suppressing Fat Signal
Gating
Cardiac Or Respiratory Synchronization | Reduces Motion Artifacts
MR Conditional
Device Labeling That Indicates Safe Use Under Specified Conditions | Follow Manufacturer Guidelines